


Sails of Silver

by chiaroscuroxxi



Series: War Games [2]
Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-06-06 05:36:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6740653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chiaroscuroxxi/pseuds/chiaroscuroxxi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I’m a glorified tea boy?!” </p><p>“You will see the admiral properly dressed each morning, that his every need is seen to, and that all his orders are properly carried out.” Here Merlin checked his glowing clipboard," And already you are way behind schedule.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Wake up.”

Eggsy opens his eyes and screams. A light flashes across his vision piercing the backs of his eyeballs, burning heat rocketed around his heads. He slams his eyes shut and grinds the palms of his fists into his sockets for good measure. 

“Shut it up,” grumbles another voice from his left. 

“Tint windows sixty percent.”

There’s colors cartwheeling across the backs of his eyelids. “What was that? Sunlight? Are my eyes bleeding?” Eggsy asked, feeling wetness on his palms. 

“You decided to keep it. You deal with him.”

“Eggsy? Eggsy it’s alright my boy, your eyes are not bleeding. Merely watering.” 

Eggsy cautiously squinted and upon seeing the room was back at a comfortably dim level, opened his eyes fully. “Didn’t know sunlight could be that bright mate,” he addressed the partially dressed admiral sitting on the sofa across the way. He was leaning forward, elbows braced on his knees, peering kindly at Eggsy. 

The excitement of last night had caught swiftly up with him and he must’ve fallen asleep in the stiffly embroidered wingback chair. From the looks of it, the admiral had not fared much better on the velveteen settee. Eggsy cracked his neck and popped his spine, ignoring the way the two other men winced at the sounds and looked his fill of the admiral. The older man had a distinguished air about him which was not at all diminished by the way his soft brown hair flopped over his forehead or the white quilted jacket which was twisted awkwardly from sleep.

“Tea if you please,” he commanded, reaching for his glasses on a side table. 

Eggsy nodded his agreement and continued staring. 

The tall bald man cleared his throat pointedly. 

“What? Me?” Eggsy pointed at himself for good measure. 

“It is your duty to see to all of Admiral Hart’s needs.” He was pompously informed. 

“I’m a glorified tea boy?!” 

“You will see the admiral properly dressed each morning, that his every need is seen to, and that all his orders are properly carried out,” here Merlin checked his glowing clipboard, “And already you are way behind schedule.” 

“I think the admiral is old enough to dress and feed himself guv.” 

“Merlin, enough. Eggsy until I decide I can trust you, you are essentially a glorified tea boy.” 

Eggsy groaned in exaggeration and staggered over to the side bar where an honest to gods china tea set awaited. The teapot was even steaming gently. What the fuck. Eggsy had never seen such opulence before in his life. In his other life, his real life, his yesterday life tea was a weak brownish slug that appeared in atom dispensers served in a 3D printed cup which sagged and leaked if you didn’t drink quick enough. “What the fuck?” he exclaimed loud enough to interrupt the other two men who were conversing in quiet whispers even as Admiral Hart put himself together in quick economical movements until all signs of a long night spent on a woefully inadequate settee were erased. They both looked up at Eggsy’s cursing; one with a thunderous frown, the other with a brow cocked in question. 

“Ah,” Hart murmured, joining Eggsy at the sideboard, “You have never prepared tea in the traditional manner before I take it?” And talking right over Eggsy’s sure to be indigent response, “Watch closely. This is to be your job after all.” 

Eggsy crossed his arms and glowered but watched all the same. He could swear he heard Merlin whisper “Ponce” in a voice just a touch fond. What had he gotten himself into? 

Tea prepared - and Hart had watched like a hawk as Eggsy prepared another cup copying Hart’s movements to the letter - a beeping interrupted Eggsy’s enjoyment of what might possibly be the best thing he had ever tasted. 

“The round table is requesting you,” Merlin reported to Hart. 

“Of course they are.”

Eggsy was swept along to the lift, sandwiched between the two taller men. 

The admiral scanned Eggsy up and down from the dirty white cap hiding his bedhead to the jacket straining over his biceps to the too long hems of his pants, “You first priority is getting a properly tailored uniform. I will not have you reflecting badly upon me.” 

“I stole this uniform bruv.” 

Hart scowled and leaned down in Eggsy’s face. “I am not your bruv. I am your commanding officer, Admiral of the ‘fleet and you will address me as Sir or Admiral,” he stated thunderously. He straightened and gestured at Merlin, “Merlin is the chief engineer of the ‘fleet and a Rear Admiral in his own right. You will treat him with same respect.” With that he stepped into the waiting lift. 

Eggsy followed him. He would play the ‘fleet rules, but he wasn’t going to let some posh level nobby man step all over him. “So what’s the round table?” he emphasized the ‘Sir’. 

The corner of Hart’s mouth ticked up. “Everything you have been told in school about our system of government is a lie.”

“I believe it,” Eggsy shrugged, “Besides didn’t go to much school anyways. Explain it.” 

“The senate that the majority of Earth believes governs them and finances the search and terraforming of new worlds is merely a shadow group controlled humanity’s real leaders; an oligarchy made up of the leading family from each of the core worlds.” 

The core worlds were six planets early terraformed and populated in the first push for the stars. They stabilized in different ways, each contributing something vital to humanity’s survival. Caduceus paved the way in medical science and produced all pharmaceuticals, Gaia was a series of moons responsible for the majority of the system’s agricultural needs, Nelson was a vast asteroid yard where all ‘fleet, merchant, and pilgrimage ships were built, on Mendel they were constantly working on improving terraforming tech as well as trying to rediscover Earth’s lost animal species, Saarinen was an enormous industrial machine with its’ own gravitational pull if the rumors were to be believed, and Saville was an isolated world where traditional ancient Earth trades were still practiced thus producing the finest luxury goods seen among the stars. Each newly terraformed world was connected in some way to one or more of the core worlds creating a delicate system of supply and demand. The demand being the survival of the human race. That’s about all Eggsy knew, he had been too caught up with trying to stay alive on Original Earth to pay attention to any other planet. He had always known he would never make it off planet without joining the ‘fleet. And pilgrimage ships were their own risk, the original terraforming tech which had stabilized the core worlds had been lost in the First Territory Wars and newly terraformed planets had only a fifty-fifty chance of stabilizing into something inhabitable. But that didn’t stop people from trying to get off the wildly overpopulated Original Earth. 

“The ‘fleet’s primary mission is to protect humanity. Part of that is expanding our Territory in order alleviate the burden of overpopulation on Original Earth,” the admiral further explained stepping out of the lift into a room empty but for a long wood table surrounded by finely upholstered chairs, “So we take our orders from the oligarchy as they the patrons of Territory expansion.” 

“We’re late,” Merlin murmured under his breath as he urged Eggsy into a corner. Admiral Hart settled gracefully into a chair near the far end of the table and tapped at his glasses. 

“Late? We are the first ones here.”

“Gentlemen, what is the situation? I gave my men three days shore leave. I’d hate to go back on my word,” Hart spoke mildly to the empty room. Eggsy made a confused squawk. Merlin sighed and shoved a pair of spectacles under his nose. Eggsy blinked, staring crossed eyed and bewildered at them. Merlin sighed again and uncrossed the arms and shoved them onto his face. Eggsy made to squawk again but it trailed off in his throat at the sight of the table now near full of solemn looking men shimmering a holographic green.

“Now be quiet,” Merlin hissed before tapping his clipboard and joining the conversation, “Bringing up the Sagittarius cluster now.” Above the table glowed a detailed starchart. 

“-reports of stirrings near Gaia IIV. Settlers are also claiming to see debris fall through the atmosphere. We think this might be from –“ a man midway down the table droned on in report. 

Eggsy peeped over the rim of his glasses to double check the empty room and then pushed them back up his nose to watch the proceedings. “Sick,” he whispered approvingly. Merlin shot him a dirty look and Hart coughed to cover his smirk. Unfortunately Eggsy also caught the attention of several others sitting at the table. 

“Who is that?” demanded the elderly man at the head of the table, rudely interrupting the man giving his report.

“My new aide-de-camp,” Hart replied easily. 

The man frowned thunderously, “Charlie Hesketh was assigned as your aide-de-camp.” 

“Hesketh never reported for duty. This young man did. And so far he has shown wonderful initiative. I’m keeping him.” It was hard to tell on a green hologram, but Eggsy was pretty confidant the older man was purpling in rage. 

“Arthur,” drawled another man, “We have quorum for once. Can we please be getting on with it?” 

The man at the head of the table coughed once, and gave Hart a glare as if to say ‘this is not forgotten’ and said, “Admiral Hart, the pilgrimage ship The Beretania is about to leave port. You are to see it safely it to the Sagittarius cluster and then investigate these mysterious sightings. After the disaster of Nova Hanalei, we can ill afford to lose another terra world.”  
“The whole ‘fleet Sir? For one pilgrimage ship?” Hart questioned, skeptical. 

“The whole ‘fleet. If these reports are true and there is terrorist activity again, I want you to squash it at its source. You leave tomorrow. Earth can ill afford your ‘fleeters contributing to its overpopulation anyways.” 

“Very well. Sirs,” Hart nodded cordially to the other members at the table before signing off. “Babysitting duty!” he growled in anger, “The whole ‘fleet assigned to one pilgrimage ship? What madness is this?” 

“You’ve either finally pissed Chester King off badly enough or they are genuinely terrified of losing their hold in the Sagittarius cluster,” Merlin commented mildly, calling for the lift. 

“I’d put my sterling on the former. Gaia and Caudeous funded the Sagittarius expansion and you know they’re in his pocket. He’s just protecting his own interests, not those of humankind. Terrorists?” Hart snorted, “He means pirates attacking his merchant vessels. Merlin, notify the captains to round up their crews. All must report in at 0800 tomorrow morning. And find out who Charlie Hesketh is and why King was so desperate to plant him at my side.” 

“I know where he is,” Eggsy pipped up, “If you want to question him yourselves. He’s tied up in a utility closet on the 253rd.” He waved the ‘fleeter’s lift pass on which had the man’s photo, name, and three chevrons which matched the shoulders of Eggsy’s stolen uniform. 

“Tied up?” the admiral sounded delighted, plucking the lift pass out of Eggsy’s hand to examine it more closely. “Hmm. You’ll need a pass of your own Eggsy. We’ll give you the rank of, let us say, Flag Lieutenant. And full ‘fleet access, of course.”

“Of course,” Merlin echoed. Eggsy didn’t know eyebrows could go that high, watching in mild fascination as Merlin’s scaled the empty expanse of his forehead. 

“I’ll need him to go places I cannot.” 

“You have your suspicions then?”

“And you do not?” Hart rejoined. 

Eggsy was left very confused. He looked back and forth between the two men. “Wot?” 

“No matter.” Hart handed the lift pass back. “Please show us you ‘captive’ as it were.”

Eggsy smirked, “With pleasure Sir.”


	2. Chapter 2

Level 253 was a lot busier this time of day. ‘fleeters with captain’s bars decorating their shoulders with men of lieutenant commander and lower scurrying in their wake. And every single one of them stopped to salute the Admiral of the ‘Fleet. Eggsy was a little bit impressed to be honest. 

But Merlin was fed up. “Clear the deck!” he bellowed. The ‘fleeters turned tail and ran. But not before they saluted one last time. 

Hart didn’t do anything so undignified as to laugh outright but the amusement was clear in his tone when he asked where Eggsy had stashed his body double. 

The utility closet when Eggsy opened the door was brightly lit and very chilly. He was a bit surprised to see Hesketh still laying bound on the floor, curled up on his side for warmth in nothing but his undershirt and briefs, fast asleep. 

“Untie him,” Hart ordered, wandering over to peer out the open window. “No carabiners, no rope,” he reported sticking his head out and looking down. 

“So wot?” Eggsy crossed his arms churlishly as Merlin shook Charlie awake none to gently, “You didn’t believe me when I said I climbed up.” 

“You need to take that chip off your shoulder lad,” Merlin reprimanded taking Eggsy’s drool sodden shirt from Charlie’s mouth, “We are impressed with your skill. I’m beginning to see why Harry is so adamant in keeping you around.”

“Oh, well” Eggsy rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly while Hart smiled at him fondly. The moment was interrupted by a shout from their feet.

“You wanker!” Charlie lunged at Eggsy who brought his fists up reflexively. 

“You want a ‘nother black eye to match the shiner I gave you last night?” 

“You utter shitstain! Do you know who I am? I will have you spaced! I’ll have your whole level spaced! Omph –“ Merlin caught him by the back of his collar in the same move he had used on Eggsy the night before. 

“Charlie Hesketh?”

“Yeah. So? Let me at him. Chav needs to be a taught a lesson.”

“Repot! Name, rank, and homeworld.” Admiral Hart barked, fed up with the taunting and posturing. 

Charlie snapped to attention, it finally dawning on him that there were superior officers in the room. “Charlie Hesketh. Flag lieutenant, Aide-de-camp to Admiral Hart. Saville.” 

“Saville. I should’ve known. Spoiled second son with a paid commission to the ‘fleet. Well a demotion should fix that attitude.” Charlie’s jaw dropped. Hart ignored him. “And three weeks hull duty for possession of an illegal substance,” He eyed the crumpled cigarette laying on the floor between them, “and for allowing a civilian to overpower you and steal your uniform.”

“But Sir!” Charlie protested.

“You might want to shut up mate,” Eggsy offered as Hart’s face darkened further. Charlie snarled at him. 

Admiral Hart drawn his shoulders back, hands clasped behind his back and stated officiously, “Charlie Hesketh, you are hereby demoted to the rank of Petty Officer. You will report to Captain Percival at once.” 

Seeing that he was in a hopeless place, Charlie snapped off a salute to Admiral Hart and Rear Admiral Merlin then fled the room, tail firmly between his legs. Hart stopped him before he could get out the door, “Hesketh. You forgot to salute my aide-de-camp.” 

Eggsy was delighted to watch Charlie’s face move from confusion to horror as he realized that Eggsy now held his position and rank. But there was nothing he could do in front of two admirals so he sloppily saluted Eggsy then bolted out the door. 

“Merlin?” Hart asked. 

“Charlie Hesketh; second son to Lord Edwin Hesketh of Manchester Nouveau, Saville. Entered the ‘fleet three years ago after graduating from the academy and quickly – much too quickly – ascended the ranks to Lieutenant. Where upon last night, he was mysteriously promoted to your aide-de-camp. Or not so mysteriously as he is the nephew of Chester King.” 

“Well I am sure he will wiggle his way back up quick enough. Our esteemed Arthur no doubt wanted a spy in our midst. We must assume there are more. Once we are aboard, call a meeting of the captains. I want to look them in the eye during the debrief. Eggsy,” Eggsy snapped to attention, copying what he saw Charlie do. The Admiral smiled, pleased. “My, you are a quick learner. I am putting a lot of faith in you, but circumstances force my hand.”

“Admiral, I am your man. For a year and day. I’m no snitch.” For a long moment green eyes met deep brown until the Admiral nodded decisively, satisfied by whatever he saw reflected there.

“Yes well, be that as it may, you are still a civilian who was promoted over the heads of many. You will have a lot of enemies, a lot of people trying to use you against me.”

Eggsy eyed him cautiously, “We made a deal. You backing out on me?” 

“Ah. Good,” Hart smiled. Eggsy blinked, lit by the weak sunlight streaming through the still open window Hart was unfairly handsome. Eggsy felt his heart flip over in his chest. He scowled mentally at himself. He couldn’t let basic attraction and a little bit of trust throw him off his guard. Life in the lower level had forged strong personal shields and not even the Admiral of the fucking ‘Fleet will be getting past them. “It was you I was worried about backing out,” Hart was saying. 

“Naw mate – I mean Sir – you give me proof my lil sis is in a better place and I’m yours.” 

A few taps on his clipboard and Merlin was flipping it around to show Eggsy a livestream of a kind looking older couple accepting Daisy into their arms. A clock and coordinates running in the corner of the stream assured Eggsy that it was livetime. 

“I’ll be getting you access to check in with your sister from the ship,” Merlin said kindly. 

Eggsy blinked rapidly and offered a heartfelt, “Thanks bruv.” Neither admiral commented on the lapse in protocol. 

“Right. We must be getting on,” Hart gave Eggsy another critical look up and down. Eggsy refused to blush. “The quartermaster first, I think.” 

Eggsy shrugged easily. “Not like I’m going to be putting that on anytime soon,” he commented, nodding at the soggy shirt at Merlin’s feet. Then he narrowed his eyes in suspicion, “Don’t forget my shoes though.”

To Eggsy’s astonishment both men dropped their severe facades. “You did agree Harry,” Merlin said between chuckles. 

“Aye, so the both of you keep reminding me,” Hart grumbled, but the smile on his face belied his gruff tone. “I am sure our quartermaster can come up with appropriately space worthy as well as satisfying to your chavish fashion tendencies.” 

“Oi mate,” Eggsy stuck one foot out and rotated the ankle daintily, “I’m at the height of Chavish fashion here.” It was a good thing the level was still empty or many a ‘fleeter would’ve been shocked to see Admiral Hart smiling in amusement while Merlin set off in another round of laughter. 

In the lift, ascending to the highest echelon once more, Hart began filling Eggsy in. “Normally you would be in charge of packing my things and attending to my quarters on the flag ship, but since you’re new I want you to memorize the ship’s schematics and the command structure before you even go near my personal effects. Merlin will set you up on some training spacewalks I want you just as efficient in zero-g as you seem to be in Earth-g. Oh, and weapons training,” he added as an afterthought.

But Eggsy had stopped listening because the lift doors had opened to an open level operating as a giant hanger, the mouth of which was sealed by an opaque force field to filter out strongest rays of sunlight, radiation, and wind. In orderly ranks sat Fletcher fighter ships three rows deep. Named for the similar design of feathers which decorated an ancient earth weapon. Flanked by the Fletcher squadrons were several Boomerang class ships. Also named after an ancient earth weapon, these were larger than the fighter ships and capable of longer distances due to the solar sail that could be unfurled between the two wings or tucked away for better maneuverability in battle. 

The admirals strode for the largest Boomerang unknowingly leaving Eggsy behind gapping in the lift. It wasn’t until the lift door hissed shut and the console beeped at him, demanding a new destination that Eggsy snapped out of it. Leaping out of the lift, he scurried after the admirals who waited with varying degrees of amusement and impatient. 

“I didn’t know we were heading straight for space!” Eggsy’s voice cracked near the end. 

“You really don’t think I’d keep my quartermaster stationed on Earth do you?”

“You’d keep him station on Saville if you could, you peacock,” Merlin mumbled under his breath. 

Eggsy grinned at Hart brightly, “From Saville then Sir? That splains a lot.” 

Hart frowned in mock anger, “What exactly does it splain?” 

Eggsy opened his mouth but closed it quickly when a sharp elbow met his ribs. “Nothing Sir,” he mumbled, rubbing the injured spot and glaring up at Merlin. Luckily the friendly ribbing had distracted him and before he knew it he was on the tiny bridge of the Boomerang, shoved into a bucket seat while Hart settled into the copilot’s chair next to Merlin. 

“You’re going to want to buckle in for atmo’ ascent,” Hart called a friendly warning over his shoulder while Merlin ran through the pre-flight checks. 

“Where’s the rest of the lot?” Eggsy asked looking around at the seven other bucket seats, their harnesses dangling empty. 

“The Admiral prefers to travel light whenever possible,” Merlin responded. 

“It is my prerogative as the Admiral of the ‘Fleet,” Hart replied primly. 

Merlin snorted, “You just can’t stand most people, Harry.” 

“Shut up and get me back to my ship. Or I’ll do it myself.”

“Alright, alright. You don’t have to threaten me.” 

Eggsy craned him head in interest, trying to see what Merlin was doing as the Boomerang lifted up and slipped through opaque forcefield only to be slammed back against the head rest as the ship shot up towards space. There was a moment of peaceful weightlessness as the ship left atmo’ and Eggsy was once again agape this time at the immense black punctured by points of light. His fingers scrambled at the clasp of his harness and he struggled to his feet. Only to fall flat on his face. 

“Artificial-g,” Hart explained, hand out to help Eggsy. “It’s near impossible to perfectly replicate Earth-g while moving through space. You’ll either adjust or you’ll be violently sick.” Eggsy groaned pathetically. “None of that my boy,” Hart tisked, “We have an ETA of 180 minutes out from the “Fleet, and if you are going to pull off being my aide-de-camp, you’ll need to know how to pilot my Boom.” 

Eggsy lifted his head off the metal grating, “I get to fly?” Excitement colored his voice. Hart graciously gestured to the copilot’s chair. Eggsy bounded to his feet and once again overestimated the difference between Earth-g and artificial-g and tumbled feet over head, barreling straight into the Admiral. Eggsy somehow found his face once again mashed into the grating, this time with the weight of a full grown man atop him. 

“Oh dear,” said Admiral Hart.

“Urgh,” Said Eggsy. 

“Like a puppy,” Merlin commented, shaking his head sadly, eyes near leaving the livestream. 

Harry took an indulgent moment to appreciate the lithe youth under him. His very own Ganymede, he thought with a shudder. And the uniform hide a surprising amount of defined musculature. Or not surprising given the boy’s habit of scaling levels from the outside. 

Merlin rolled his eyes, “Get your arse off the floor Cadet.”

“I’m not a cadet, I’m a lieutenant,” Eggsy replied snootily as he climbed to his feet and dropped into the copilot’s seat. 

Hart brushed himself off, tugging at his uniform jacket and petting at his hair until Merlin interrupted his piloting lesson to Eggsy to snap at him, “Stop primping you bloody peacock, you’re distracting my cadet!” 

Eggsy was torn between protesting the misuse of his rank and asking what the fuck a peacock was. This was the second time Merlin had brought it up. 

“Just give him the controls Merlin. I’m a firm believer of sink or swim. Behinds,” Hart’s eyes twinkled, “There’s not much the boy can hit, is there now?”

Eggsy whooped and slid his hands into the biometric gloves which connected him to the ship’s systems as Merlin cautioned, “Partial control. I’m not just handing over the reins to a Greenie.” 

Eggsy curled his hands into fists and punched forward. It was Hart’s turn to fall on his ass as the Boomerang kicked into a higher speed, shooting towards the stars. Eggsy laughed in exhilaration, gently rotating his wrist to feel the subtle movements of response coming from the ship. “She responses on the dime!” 

“You are a quick learner,” Merlin grudgingly admitted as Eggsy pulled off a few lazy loop-de-loops. 

“What about backwards?” Eggsy asked, excited. His fingers danced quickly over the console to bring up a livestream of their stern and before either admiral could protest, clenched his fists and pulled his elbow back. 

Merlin honest to gods shrieked, “That’s not an acceptable maneuver for a Boomerang!” While Hart still sat on the floor behind them and laughed, hair flopping over his forehead in disarray. 

“I can’t wait to see you in a Fletcher.”

Eggsy twisted around grinning, “Really guv?” he asked breathlessly, ignoring the way his stomach flipped when he met the admiral’s smiling eyes. 

“Eggsy!” Merlin commanded sharply. “Enough playing. You need to learn celestial navigation and,” here he smiled sharply, “proper docking procedure.” 

Eggsy’s smile was just as sharp. “Bring it Sir.” 

 

To the astonishment of the two older men, Eggsy set the Boomerang down in the hanger of the flag ship as light as a dream. He caught the look on their faces from the corner of his eye and got defensive. “Wot cho looking at? These gloves make it easy!” And wiggled his fingers, still encased in the biometric gloves. 

The ship rocked violently side to side, jostling its passengers and scattering the ground support crew who had approached the ship from the outside with fuel lines and docking clamps. 

“Oops?” Eggsy offered sheepishly as Merlin wrapped a firm hand around his forearm to tug his hands from the gloves. 

“Eggsy. No.” 

“Still, despite the rocky landing, I’ve never seen anyone pick up piloting so quickly,” Hart mused. Eggsy bit his lip to keep from grinning at the Admiral’s pun. The grin quickly slipped away again as both admirals straightened and an aura of command settled upon their shoulders. 

“Three paces behind and one pace to the right,” Merlin advised as Hart led the way off the Boom. The ground support who had been creeping closer once the ship had powered down, quickly dropped their gear again when they realized exactly who was exiting the Boom. 

“At ease,” Hart said to the hanger at large, never breaking his stride. 

As the lift doors closed on the ground crew picking their things up after their hasty salutes, Merlin's clipboard beeped. "Argh. There's already trouble in engineering. I best go see what the problem is this time." He wacked at the lift console which beeped at him in what Eggsy could swear was an indignant fashion. Merlin just hissed back and poked at it again until the lift doors hissed open. Eggsy caught a glimpse of curved gunmetal walls and a herringbone pattern stamped into the floor before the clipboard was thrust into his hands. Eggsy blinked at it in surprise. "I've given you access to ship's schematics, general 'fleet info, and a comprehensive list of your duties. Study it. Memorize it. Live it. The Admiral will give you more access as he sees fit." Merlin nodded at Hart and strode off down the hall. Eggsy blinked again as the lift closed and whisked them off. 

"If there's trouble in engineering, I best check in with the bridge," Hart mused. He looked Eggsy over once again, "I can't just let you wander about my ship unsupervised as of yet. Unfortunately the quartermaster will have to wait." 

"Yer still hung up about the clothes guv?"

"On my ship a 'fleeter is always properly outfitted." Hart turned to Eggsy searching, “A year and a day lieutenant?” 

“I’m yours to command Sir.”

The corner Admiral’s mouth ticked up for a heartbeat. “Good man,” he murmured, schooling his features into stern countenance as the lift doors hissed open.

Eggsy drew a deep breath, squared his shoulders and followed the admiral onto the bridge.


End file.
